Geoff Gray died at Deepcut in 2001, James Collinson the following year

The father of Perth soldier James Collinson has condemnded the decision not to pursue a prosecution over the death of his son at the Deepcut army barracks.

Surrey Police said an investigation into the death of four soldiers at the base between 1995 and 2002 had found no grounds for prosecution.

The £1m, 15-month inquiry had however amassed "significant evidence that throws further light on the reasons for each of the four deaths," senior officers said.

But Jim Collinson said the outcome of the police investigaion "stinks of a cover-up" and called for a full public inquiry.

It used to smell of a cover-up and it stinks of a cover-up now

Jim Collinson

Surrey Police had re-examined evidence relating to the deaths of Privates Sean Benton, 20, from Hastings, East Sussex; Geoff Gray, 17, from Seaham, County Durham; James Collinson, 17, from Perth; and Cheryl James, 18, from Llangollen, North Wales.

The police evidence will be passed to Surrey coroner Michael Burgess who is holding an inquest into the death of Private Collinson, the last of the four soldiers to die.

The four were all new recruits, training at the Royal Logistics Corps' primary training base at the Princess Royal Barracks at Deepcut.

Their families have campaigned for an independent public inquiry to ascertain all the facts.

'Terrible saga'

Mr Collinson, 41, said: "Our son was murdered at Deepcut and we will carry
on and get justice for him.

"It used to smell of a cover-up and it stinks of a cover-up now.

"All the families want a public inquiry, we have all got to stick together
and go for this."

Cheryl James and Sean Benton both died at Deepcut in 1995

Annabelle Ewing, MP for Perth, said the families deserved a full, independent investigation.

"That is the only way that we can get to the bottom of what on earth has been happening," she said.

"I understand that the Collinson family was briefed by Surrey Police, who made it clear that whilst there was no evidence of third party involvement, at the same time there was no evidence of suicidal tendency in the information they had gathered.

"I think that's a very significant development and what the families want in the circumstances of this terrible saga is an independent public inquiry to find out how these soldiers died and why these soldiers died."